Acts
1. Before Teresa and I married we had some interaction with people who were very religious.
2. After we were baptized we went to someone who was part of this group.
3. We told this person that we had been baptized for the forgiveness of sins.
4. We thought that this individual would be happy for us.
5. Both of us still recall the response that we got.
6. Our baptism was inconsistent with what the people in this group believed.
7. It didn’t take too long before we were told that we had been mislead.
8. We had been ensnared by religious error.
9. I asked the person who told us these things to look at Acts 2:38.
10. This young lady said, “I am familiar with that verse.”
11. She told us that the translations have it all wrong.
12. Instead of saying “for the remission of sins” it should say “because of.”
13. In other words, the proper idea is “be baptized because your sins have been forgiven.”
14. She said baptism is for those who have been saved, not to be saved.
THIS INFORMATION WAS BRAND NEW TO ME. IN THE YEARS THAT HAVE PASSED SINCE THIS CONVERSATION
TOOK PLACE OTHERS HAVE EITHER MADE THIS ARGUMENT OR ASKED ME ABOUT THIS
MATTER. ON ONE OCCASION A MAN SAID, “I HAVE RESERVED A PUBLIC ROOM AT THE LIBRARY. WOULD YOU COME MEET ME AND ANSWER SOME
QUESTIONS?” ONE OF HIS QUESTIONS
INVOLVED THE IDEA THAT ACTS
A. Is the allegation that Acts 2:38 means “because
of” true?
B. Part of tonight’s study is designed to examine and
answer this question.
C. One man who made this allegation cited Lk. 5:14 as a
proof text.
D. According to Lk. 5:12 a certain man was “full of
leprosy.”
E. This man said that Jesus if willed He could make him
“clean.”
F. The Lord said that He was willing to perform the
healing.
G. This man was completely cured – VERSE 13 – READ.
H. Some have appealed to Lk. 5:14 to argue that Acts
I. Let’s read Lk. 5:14 – READ.
J. This man was told to make an offering “for”
his cleansing.
K. It has been said that the word “for” in Lk.
L. Because this man was healed he was to make an offering.
2. This point is exactly right.
3. This man was healed and for this reason he was to
make a sacrifice.
4. Some have said that if “for” means ‘because
of’ in Lk. 5:14 it means “because of” in Acts 2:38.
5. This part of the conclusion is incorrect.
6. In English the preposition is the same in Acts 2 and
Lk. 5 (both places have the word “for”).
7. In the Greek text the prepositions are not the same.
8. Acts
9. Luke used the preposition peri.
10. If people are going to make an argument based upon
the wording, the proper text must be used.
11. In the example I have just given there is no valid
comparison.
12. People must use other places that have the word eis
before translating the text “because of.”
13. The preposition eis is a common word.
14. It is used about 1800 times in the New Testament.
15. Here are some examples:
A. Mt. 2:1 – Wise men came “to”
B. Mt.
C. Acts
D. Acts
16. This preposition had a wide variety of meanings.
17. I did not study the more than 1700 places where this
term is found.
18. I did do this.
19. I check the KJV translation for the words “because
of.”
20. These two words are found together 41 times.
21. I then checked the Greek text in all 41 one of the
places that have “because of.”
22. Not one time did I find that writers used the
preposition eis, the preposition used in Acts 2:38.
23. A variety of language authorities were then
consulted.
24. To make a long story short they said that there is
no basis for saying that “eis” can mean because of.
25. This preposition pointed forward to something; it
was not retrospective.
26. The translation because of is retrospective;
it looks to the past.
27. The preposition eis is a word that looks
forward to the future.
A. If this is what the word means in Acts 2:38 the word
looked forward to forgiveness.
B. Be baptized “for” (in order to receive; in order to
obtain; to get) forgiveness.
28. This preposition was often used to express purpose
(i.e. in order to receive something).
29. A good example of this is Mt. 26:28.
30. The Lord’s blood was shed “unto” (eis) the
forgiveness of sins.
31. Consider the meaning of the Lord’s words if this
preposition can mean “because of.”
32. The thought would be that Jesus died because
sins had been forgiven.
33. This interpretation makes the death of Jesus
unnecessary.
34. Some insist that “because” is wrong in Mt. 26 but
affirm that it is right in Acts 2.
35. Translators had nearly 1800 places to translate this
preposition “because” but they never did that.
36. Here is another little detail that you may find
interesting.
37. This is found in Acts 2:27 – READ.
38. The word “because” does occur in Acts 2.
39. The word translated “because” is a little
preposition called hoti.
40. This preposition meant because.
41. Since Peter used this preposition we know that he
was familiar with it.
42. Peter knew how to say “because” in the Greek
language.
43. The Holy Spirit was also familiar with this term.
44. There are only a few verses between Acts
45. Had Peter used the same preposition in both places
there would be no question about what he meant.
46. In verse 38 he used a different preposition.
47. This different preposition was not one that Peter
arbitrarily selected.
48. This apostle spoke by inspiration.
49. Acts 2:4 says the Spirit gave them utterance.
50. The Bible says that we are to live by “every word”
from God.
51. Under divine guidance Peter did not use the
preposition that meant “because.”
52. Yet, people try to insist that this is what verse 38
means.
53. saying that “for” means “because your sins have
been forgiven” is an untrue argument.
54. If baptism is not for the forgiveness of sins this
is the wrong way to prove it.
IF YOU EVER HEAR SOMEONE
MAKE THIS ARGUMENT ASK THEM TO DO SOME RESEARCH. STANDARD BOOKS THAT DEFINE BIBLE WORDS ARE
VERY CLEAR ABOUT THE MEANING OF EIS IN ACTS
A. For the forgiveness of sins (Theological Lexicon of the New Testament).
B. In order to receive (Exegetical Dictionary of the New Testament).
C. To obtain the forgiveness of sins (Thayer).
D. For forgiveness of sins, so that sins might be
forgiven (Arndt & Gingrich).
55. Members of the church did not write these sources.
56. These are standard resources that anyone who studies
New Testament Greek uses.
57. This pretty well covers one common argument over
Acts 2:38.
58. I want to introduce a second.
59. Some have said that there is a different in the
grammar.
60. This argument goes something like this:
A. The command to repent is plural. Since it is plural it applied to everyone.
B. The command to be baptized is singular.
C. Thus, all needed to repent for salvation.
D. After people were saved each one had the option of
being baptized.
E. This is the option that is made based upon the
grammar.
61. Part of this argument is true.
62. The command to repent is plural. The command to be baptized is singular.
A. This argument is very creative.
B. Our criteria for truth is
not creativity. Truth is based upon what
is right.
C. Let’s take a look at another passage – Gal. 6:1.
D. This is a well known verse.
E. Paul spoke of restoring a fallen brother.
F. Here is what he said – READ.
G. This verse begins with a plural word (brethren”).
H. Towards the end of the verse Paul switched to the
singular.
I. He spoke of “considering thyself, lest thou also be
tempted.”
J. This part of the verse is in the singular.
63. According to some what is plural is applied to all
and is necessary.
64. What is in the singular is not necessary.
65. Gal. 6:1 uses the same type of construction but we
would reject this conclusion out of hand.
66. Even though the end of the verse is in the singular
it applied to the entire group.
67. In Gal. 6:1 we find that Paul dealt with a specific
group of people.
68. He then switched to the singular to emphasize the
command.
69. This was a technique to stress a certain point.
70. This is exactly what we find in Acts 2:38.
71. Peter dealt with a specific group of people (those
who wanted to be saved).
72. This group was told to repent. This command was plural.
73. Peter then issued the command to be baptized and he
used the singular to emphasize it.
74. Peter’s emphasis on baptism is seen in another way.
75. When Peter spoke of baptism he used an aorist
imperative verb.
76. A. T. Robertson was a widely respected Baptist
scholar.
77. Concerning Acts
78. This was the most urgent form of command that Peter
could have uttered.
79. It was like people were in a house that was on fire.
80. Peter said, get out.
Repent and be baptized for the forgiveness of sins.
81. This is why the Bible also says that Peter exhorted
them with “many other words.”
82. Acts
83. Is this what we have done and are encouraging others
to do?